The governments hashed out a plan that will see the closure of sites owned by Marine Harvest and Cermaq.

The Governments of British Columbia and several Canadian First Nations group reached an agreement on Friday to close a series of sites in the Broughton Archipelago off the Northeast coast of Vancouver Island to allow for unimpeded migration of wild salmon in the area.

Officials from BC and the Kwikwasutinuxw Haxwa’mix, ‘Namgis, and Mamalilikulla First Nations agreed that 10 of of the 17 farms sited in the area would be closed. At the same time, the deal left open the option for First Nations to negotiate with Marine Harvest and Cermaq on sites and productions in other waters.

Officials from Marine Harvest and Cermaq voiced their support for the plan during a news conference held in Victoria Friday.

"Today is a significant and historic moment for all of us in the province of BC," Cermaq Canada Managing Director David Kiemele said. "This plan is charting a path forward, it is truly reconciliation in action."

Chief Robert Chamberlin, Owadi, a member of the Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis First Nation, also spoke in support of the agreement, along with BC Premier John Horgan and Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.

"I'm here to celebrate people coming together to acknowledge wild salmon are at risk, and we need to all work together to turn that around," said Chamberlin.

Embed: Chief Bob Chamberlin

Marine Harvest Canada Managing Director Diane Morrison said while operations at Marine Harvest in Broughton will change, there will be no changes to its staff or contractors.

To meet the planed transition and maintain the company’s annual harvest volume over time, Marine Harvest Canada said it will relinquish its tenure at Potts Bay, and will look to shift production from sites that will be decommissioned to other sites. The company is also withdrawing its tenure replacement applications for Arrow Passage and Glacier Falls sites.

“We approached these discussions seeking solutions that would both address the concerns of the First Nations and maintain our commitment to the wellbeing of our employees, support businesses, and stakeholders," she said in a statement following the news.

Marine Harvest Canada said it intends to seek out new salmon farming sites where there is First Nations interest and consent.

Company Profile: Mowi (Marine Harvest)

Marine Harvest Canada harvests 12,000 metric tons of salmon from 12 farms in Broughton, which generates $200 million (€176.9 million) towards the economy, according to the company. There are 461 jobs with Marine Harvest associated with its operations in the area.

No Cermaq layoffs

Cermaq, which already operates 70 percent of production under a protocol agreement with First Nations said it is supportive of the move.

"It provides us with some pathway forward to actually having more stability in our industry and some more stability for Cermaq," Linda Sams, Cermaq's sustainable development director said.

Cermaq plans to retire one farm immediately that is not being used. Another farm that was critical to wild migration routes will be closed down in early 2020, following a couple of production cycles with the remainder scheduled for closure by 2023 with an option to remain open if agreement can be reached with First Nations.

The company plans to weigh a number of options, among them whether it will relocate sites including to the east coast. At the same time executives are highly conscious of the impact on workers and are not expecting layoffs.

"First Nations and the government at the table were very much concerned about our workers' welfare, their mortages, their family," Sams said.

Among the options available to the company may be to produce in the Broughton area with First Nations consent, although Cermaq said it is too early to talk about this without holding proper discussions.

"I think its very important that we emphasize that to do that kind of work we need to do that in cooperation with First Nations, regardless of the areas around Vancouver Island," Sams said.

Karen Witsen, executive director of NGO group and salmon farming critic Living Oceans Society, told IntraFish the agreement has been long-awaited by First Nations groups and activists.

With the concession, Witsen said, other parts of BC may now come under scrutiny. In particular, waters off the Discovery Island near Campbell River, a key area for Fraser River sockeye migration, should be evaluated for similar closures.

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The governments hashed out a plan that will see the closure of sites owned by Marine Harvest and Cermaq.

The Governments of British Columbia and several Canadian First Nations group reached an agreement on Friday to close a series of sites in the Broughton Archipelago off the Northeast coast of Vancouver Island to allow for unimpeded migration of wild salmon in the area.

Officials from BC and the Kwikwasutinuxw Haxwa’mix, ‘Namgis, and Mamalilikulla First Nations agreed that 10 of of the 17 farms sited in the area would be closed. At the same time, the deal left open the option for First Nations to negotiate with Marine Harvest and Cermaq on sites and productions in other waters.

Officials from Marine Harvest and Cermaq voiced their support for the plan during a news conference held in Victoria Friday.

"Today is a significant and historic moment for all of us in the province of BC," Cermaq Canada Managing Director David Kiemele said. "This plan is charting a path forward, it is truly reconciliation in action."

Chief Robert Chamberlin, Owadi, a member of the Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis First Nation, also spoke in support of the agreement, along with BC Premier John Horgan and Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.

"I'm here to celebrate people coming together to acknowledge wild salmon are at risk, and we need to all work together to turn that around," said Chamberlin.

Embed: Chief Bob Chamberlin

Marine Harvest Canada Managing Director Diane Morrison said while operations at Marine Harvest in Broughton will change, there will be no changes to its staff or contractors.

To meet the planed transition and maintain the company’s annual harvest volume over time, Marine Harvest Canada said it will relinquish its tenure at Potts Bay, and will look to shift production from sites that will be decommissioned to other sites. The company is also withdrawing its tenure replacement applications for Arrow Passage and Glacier Falls sites.

“We approached these discussions seeking solutions that would both address the concerns of the First Nations and maintain our commitment to the wellbeing of our employees, support businesses, and stakeholders," she said in a statement following the news.

Marine Harvest Canada said it intends to seek out new salmon farming sites where there is First Nations interest and consent.

Company Profile: Mowi (Marine Harvest)

Marine Harvest Canada harvests 12,000 metric tons of salmon from 12 farms in Broughton, which generates $200 million (€176.9 million) towards the economy, according to the company. There are 461 jobs with Marine Harvest associated with its operations in the area.

No Cermaq layoffs

Cermaq, which already operates 70 percent of production under a protocol agreement with First Nations said it is supportive of the move.

"It provides us with some pathway forward to actually having more stability in our industry and some more stability for Cermaq," Linda Sams, Cermaq's sustainable development director said.

Cermaq plans to retire one farm immediately that is not being used. Another farm that was critical to wild migration routes will be closed down in early 2020, following a couple of production cycles with the remainder scheduled for closure by 2023 with an option to remain open if agreement can be reached with First Nations.

The company plans to weigh a number of options, among them whether it will relocate sites including to the east coast. At the same time executives are highly conscious of the impact on workers and are not expecting layoffs.

"First Nations and the government at the table were very much concerned about our workers' welfare, their mortages, their family," Sams said.

Among the options available to the company may be to produce in the Broughton area with First Nations consent, although Cermaq said it is too early to talk about this without holding proper discussions.

"I think its very important that we emphasize that to do that kind of work we need to do that in cooperation with First Nations, regardless of the areas around Vancouver Island," Sams said.

Karen Witsen, executive director of NGO group and salmon farming critic Living Oceans Society, told IntraFish the agreement has been long-awaited by First Nations groups and activists.

With the concession, Witsen said, other parts of BC may now come under scrutiny. In particular, waters off the Discovery Island near Campbell River, a key area for Fraser River sockeye migration, should be evaluated for similar closures.

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